


Smile Like You Mean It

by rockinthebeastmode



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: First Dates, First Love, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 08:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16850527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockinthebeastmode/pseuds/rockinthebeastmode
Summary: Finn copes with his daughter’s first date. Based on Smile Like You Mean It by the Killers.





	Smile Like You Mean It

All things considered, I was a pretty laid back bloke. I reckoned I could handle just about anything. For instance, when the local radio station where my wife Rae and I worked got bought out and turned mainstream, we wasted no time in opening our own station and good ol’  _No Crap FM_  was born. Perfect as it turned out, Rae being several months pregnant at the time didn’t help matters. But we made it through together; the station took off and my sweet Aria was born.

  
Fast-forward sixteen years and my smiley, beautiful baby has transformed into a witty, charming young woman. She reminded me of Rae more and more each day, what with her biting sarcasm and cheeky grin. She could compete nationally in eye-rolling but those same eyes, that matched mine almost perfectly, could sparkle and shine with every mood. Unlike Rae and I both, Aria wore her emotions on her sleeve, something I was in constant turmoil over. What the bloody hell was I supposed to do when some knobhead broke her heart and her anguish showed plain as day on her face? I couldn’t stand even the thought.

***

  
“Well, what’s the boy’s name? We didn’t go to school with his parents, did we? Oh god, he’s Stacey’s son, isn’t he. Don’t sugar coat it, Rae, tell me straight out.”

  
Rae just gave me a amused glance, continuing cooking dinner.  _How could she be so calm at a time like this?_

_  
_ “His name is Jonathan and from what Aria’s told me, he’s just moved here with his mum and is in her year,” she replied, stirring a pot slowly. She turned the heat on low and covered it, turning to me and smirking.

  
“She’s also informed me that he’s got auburn hair and dark blue eyes and a million freckles and could play footy in his sleep,” Rae continued, fluttering her lashes and sighing dreamily. I rolled my eyes, my stomach twisting.

  
“Sounds like a wanker,” I countered, my brows furrowing. She smiled and stepped closer, running her fingers across my forehead and smoothing the lines.

  
“Be careful your face doesn’t get stuck like that, you know you’ve only got one,” she said cheekily. Before I could respond, the doorbell rang.

  
“Now, go get the door and call for Aria. Dinner will be ready in a bit.” 

  
I nodded with a grimace, heading for the front door. Aria appeared at the top of the stairs. My jaw dropped. This girl was gonna be the death of me.

  
“How do I look, Daddy?” she chirped, eyes shimmering. I could hear a slight waver in her voice and I sighed with a smile.

  
“You look beautiful, babygirl.”

  
She grinned before bounding down the stairs, her knee length skirt waving. She wore a light sleeveless top, a necklace resting along her sternum. My chest constricted.

  
“You’re wearing a sweater, right? A parka, perhaps?” She just laughed to my dismay.

  
“Quick, answer the door! And don’t let him see me, I have to make an entrance,” she exalted shortly, practically buzzing with anticipation. She bounced into the kitchen, and I vaguely heard Rae praising her loudly. I went to the door and took a deep breath.  _Here goes nothing._

_  
_ “Mr. Nelson! So great to meet you, I’m Jonny,” he beamed, holding out his hand to shake. I crossed my arms, looking him over. His red hair was styled messily, wearing a navy blue button up t-shirt and light jeans. His hand stayed in place for a few seconds before wavering under my scrutiny and running through his hair with a shaky laugh. I attempted a smile, stepping back out of the doorway.

  
“C’mon in, kid,” I murmured. I clapped a hand on his shoulder roughly as he entered, smirking as he winced, giving me a weak grin. 

  
“Aria! Your date’s here!” I called out, screaming internally.  _Date._

_  
_ “Be right there!”

  
We stood in silence for a moment, Jonny looking around the room casually while I tried not to shove him back out the door. I watched the kid as he wiped his palms on his jeans and cleared his throat. The kitchen door swung open and Rae walked out, giving me a warning look before smiling widely at Jonny.

  
“You must be Jonathan, Aria’s told us so much about you.”

  
I barely contained my scoff.

  
“All good things I hope,” Jonny quipped with a nervous smile. Rae chuckled and shook his hand.

  
“You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Nelson,” he continued, glancing around the room again. Rae beamed and I rolled my eyes heavenward.  _What a bloody charmer._

_  
_ “Oh, call me Rae, Mrs. Nelson is so stuffy,” she laughed before giving me a meaningful look. I shot her a side-glance.

  
“Mr. Nelson will do, boy,” I muttered, Rae smacking my arm with an eyeroll. Aria entered the room seconds later, her grin a little too wide to be genuine. I could see her nerves clear in her movements. The kid swallowed hard, exhaling sharply.

  
“You look stunning,” Jonny croaked, Aria blushing deeply. He raised his arms as if to hug her and I caught his eye, glaring daggers. He slumped slightly, Aria looking disappointed.

  
“Ready to go?”

  
Aria nodded and gave Rae a quick hug before turning to me. I hoped my distress didn’t show too clear.

  
“Alright, Daddy?” she whispered, hugging me tight. I clung to her, knowing when I let go, she’d go out with that little blighter and I’d lose my little girl forever. I gave her one final squeeze and she pulled away, kissing my cheek. My lips quirked, my heart dropping to my stomach.

  
“Smile like you mean it, Dad,” Aria winked, exchanging a smirk with Rae. Her and Jonny walked to the door. As Aria opened the front door, Jonny placed his hand on her lower back. Rae’s quick pinch stopped me from lunging forward. I called out desperately.

  
“Curfew’s at te–” I started, before Rae clapped a hand over my mouth.

 

“Midnight, have fun, kids!” she finished, waiting until the door closed before removing her hand. I heaved a sigh, dropping to the couch and placing my head in my hands. Rae rubbed my shoulders and kissed my head.

  
“It’s just a date, Finley. She’s the same age we were when we started,” she said before walking towards the kitchen. I groaned, my nerves growing ten-fold.

  
“Exactly. I was such a dickhead back then,” I whined, shaking my head. 

  
“Back then?” she snorted. I scowled and followed her to the kitchen.

  
“Face it, Finn. She’s growing up. She can’t be your little girl forever,” she said, her tone ending the discussion. She started doling out food onto our plates.

  
“I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

***

  
Things have changed since Rae and I were teenagers. We’d spend the summer days trolling Town Records and the chippy and spend the nights watching the sunset out at Rutlands and drinking pints at the Swan. Looking back, life seemed like a dream. 

  
I remember all those times I’d sneak Rae into my room, Dad being totally oblivious. Or those few times I’d make it into Rae’s room before getting caught by Linda in a flurry of swatting hands and shouted profanities. We’d both get grounded but there I’d be again, climbing the walls up to her window.  
  


I was installing bloody bars on our windows next chance I got.

  
***

  
“Mr. Nelson!”

  
I growled, the chippy’s server giving me a curious glance. I raised my brows at her mockingly and grabbed my food order, turning to the door.  _If I could just make it back to the car–_

_  
_ “Hey, Mr. Nelson. Fancy seeing you here,” Jonny grinned. I made a small noise of derision. His gaze went down to the large paper bag in my arms.

 

“Dinner for the family?” he remarked, “I’m just here with my footy mates, big game earlier.”

  
I nodded, my mouth curling into a sneer. Yes, Aria had spent the entire bloody day enthusing about Jonny and his football prowess before heading off to the game, team colors painted across her cheeks. I opened my mouth to fashion some sort of goodbye when Jonny’s gaze fell to my tattered Oasis t-shirt.

  
“Aw, man, I love Oasis. One of the best bands ever.”

No fucking way he had any idea about Oasis. This kid was a real piece of work.

  
“Oh yeah? Favorite album?” I challenged. Jonny seemed to think for a minute.

  
“Well…”

  
_Yeah, ‘well’ what Jonny-boy?!_

_  
_ “I’d say ‘Definitely Maybe’ since it’s such a classic and my mum raised me on it, but I’m pretty impartial to ‘Be Here Now’. Can’t beat the opening guitar on [Don’t Go Away](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FBY2lcfa2lrM&t=YTljM2U0YzA1NDMzZWVlYjExMjg5MmZiNDBiY2FlZjk0ZDViMmE0MSx3S3NqTmNTTQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AFH2hGIzOAHE29TPAAW-KKw&p=http%3A%2F%2Frockinthebeastmode.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F157252712635%2Fsmile-like-you-mean-it&m=1),” he finished.

  
I almost dropped the bag in shock. Jonny continued, not seeming to notice my dumbfounded stare.

  
“Aria’s always banging on about the genius of ‘What’s the Story’, can’t say I disagree with that,” he paused before giving me a sly smile, “I’d never cop to it though.”

I let out a short laugh before kicking myself internally.  _Save some face, Finn, he’s the enemy!_

_  
_ “Anyways, I’d better go, Mr. Nelson. See ya laters!” 

  
I waved dazedly, turning back to the door and heading home. _Fucking unreal._

_  
_ ***

  
Though my efforts to scare him away were valiant, Jonny stuck around a bit longer than I had anticipated. Blinded by my distrust of him and anxiety over Aria growing up, it took me a long time to accept him into our family circle. But with the help (or rather, coercion) of Rae, I stepped aside a bit and retracted the claws around Jonny more. Before I knew it, the two had been together a full year and then some.

  
***

  
“How’s the station going?” Dad asked, pouring tea into cups, handing them to me and Rae. I shrugged, my eyes on Aria and Jonny in the living room looking through Dad’s collection of board games, the christmas tree lighting their faces. Rae elbowed me sharply.

  
“It’s great, Gary, smooth as always. We’ve had some new artists playing for the holidays so ratings have been up,” she answered, pulling my focus from the kids. Dad shot me a knowing look.

  
“And how’s Aria? Excited about starting uni?”

  
Rae nodded enthusiastically, sharing a proud look with me.

  
“She’s not sure if she wants to go to Bristol like I did or somewhere new, though. She considered taking a year off to travel or start out at the trade school Finn went to, get some experience in something. I know she wants to stay close to Jonny either way, but he’s heading for great things as well, sky’s the limit for them both,” she replied. 

  
I found myself not instantly fuming at the thought of Jonny staying in Aria’s life. Turned out, he’d been a good influence for her thus far. While my grades dropped when I spent too much time with Rae, Aria and Jonny thrived, both their grades improving as they helped each other in their weak spots. Despite my original thoughts of Jonny being a typical boy with no eye for the future or how to treat my little girl, he was turning out to be quite the young man–a fact Rae wouldn’t let me forget.

  
“They do seem quite close,” Dad answered, “Reminds me a bit of you two to be honest.”

  
I choked on my tea. Aria held up a game from across the room.

  
“Who wants to play?”

  
***

  
Before I knew it, Aria started university. She struggled at first, being away from home, but with ongoing support from Rae and I, she made it through. Jonny ended up going to a different school but they remained in touch and honestly, I think his influence helped Aria just as much as mine and Rae’s did. By the time they graduated, my distaste for the boy had lessened considerably.

  
***

  
“May I have a quick word, Mr. Nelson?”

  
My eyes left the grill and met Jonny’s. He shuffled his feet and ran a hand through his hair restlessly. I nodded, handing the spatula to Chop, shrugging in response to his curious look. We walked to the side of the yard where a drink table was set up and I cracked open a beer, handing it to Jonny before opening one for myself. He took a long pull and let out a gusty sigh after. I raised a brow at him.

  
“What’s got you so keyed up, kid?” I asked, taking a considerably smaller gulp of my own beer. His eyes went across the yard to Aria standing with Rae and Archie, laughing loudly.

  
“It’s about Aria, sir.”

  
My eyes narrowed.

  
“You did something to her?” I asked quietly, stepping closer menacingly. Jonny shook his head roughly, bringing up his hands defensively.

  
“Oh, no, no, ‘course not, Mr. Nelson, I just…” he trailed off and I clapped a hand on his shoulder.

  
“Well, out with it, Jonathan, I haven’t seen you this nervous since your first date with her,” I joked. I felt my stomach flop in anticipation.  _It couldn’t be…_

_  
_ “I know you don’t like me, sir, and that’s cool–”

  
“I like you just fine, lad.”  _Now, at least. Only took about 5 years._

_  
_ “Right…well,” he took a shuddering breath, “I love your daughter very much, and I can’t imagine having a life without her by my side. So, I was wondering, if I could possibly have your blessing to propose marriage to her.”

  
My world seemed to slow down. I suddenly was assaulted with memories of my own experience asking Karim for his blessing to marry Rae. How out of my mind nervous I was. How difficult it was to bridge the language gap.  _Jonny sure had this bloody easy._

_  
_ I stared at Jonny blankly, trying to get my head on straight. I watched a bead of sweat trickle down Jonny’s face, his eyes beseeching. I let a smile play on my face, remembering how much I hated this random boy coming swooping into my only daughter’s life and watching him become a man before my eyes, making Aria infinitely happy along the way. Jonny wavered under my gaze, his face starting to drop. I made my decision.

  
“Yes.”

  
His eyes widened.

  
“Sorry?”

  
I rolled my eyes, barking a laugh.

  
“I said yes, knobhead.”

  
Jonny’s face broke into a grin and he threw his arms around me, nearly knocking me on my arse. I caught eyes with Rae across the yard and she gaped comically at the sight of us hugging, quickly nudging Aria beside her. She smiled widely and her eyes glowed brightly even from this distance.  
Jonny broke away, still beaming unrestrained.

  
“Thanks so much, Mr. Nelson.”

  
I cuffed his shoulder with a smirk.

  
“It’s Finn.”

  
***

  
Of course she said yes. Did I have any doubt she wouldn’t? A year of planning later found us at the town chapel on the big day. I didn’t know who was more nervous–me or Jonny.

  
***

  
“Fuck, I’m gonna be sick.”

  
I stifled a grin and tried to look sympathetic.

  
“You’re fine. We practiced this whole thing yesterday. You love her. Piece of cake,” I reassured him. His eyes met mine frantically.

  
“What if she changes her mind?” he spluttered, pacing the hall. I couldn’t help my snort.

  
“Well, she’s paying me back with interest, for one. This show didn’t come cheap, I’ll tell you that,” I replied, grinning at the glare and terse, ‘ _Not helping, Finn,_ ’ I received. I checked my watch and braced his shoulders.

  
“Lemme tell you something, Jonathan. I consider myself a pretty laid back bloke, even if I didn’t seem that way when we first met. I reckon at this point in life I can handle just about anything, though you coming along made me question that. But now, I’ve realized you’re the best thing that could’ve happened in my daughter’s life and I’m sure you feel the same about her. I know you love her and you’ll make her happy,” I imparted. He smiled, his eyes growing glazed.

  
“Now, you got a wedding to have, get on out there,” I pulled him into a quick hug, feeling tears well up in my own eyes. Jonny bobbed his head in a nod, and sauntered off into the main hall to stand at the altar. I swiped at my eyes and made my way down the hall to the bride’s room. I knocked on the door, breathing deep. Rae opened the door, smile seeming permanently fixed. I smiled back.

  
“Looking good, girl,” I murmured before looking past her into the room at Aria. My heart skipped a beat.

  
“How do I look, Daddy?”

  
Déjà vu washed over me and I sighed in a small sob.

  
“You look beautiful, babygirl.”

  
Aria beamed, smoothing her hands over her dress. Rae kissed her cheek and hugged her tight, before leaving the room. I offered my arm, a tear making its way down my cheek. She swiped it away and took a trembling breath.

  
“I’m bricking it, Dad. How’s he doing? Is he gonna back out?”

  
I shook my head with a chuckle.

  
“He’s nervous but excited. Happy. Same as you.”

  
She nodded and we made our way to the doors. We stood in position and I turned to her. She gave me one of her famous looks that showed each and every emotion she was feeling. Intense nerves but supreme happiness. I kissed her cheek and waggled my brows at her.

  
“Now, smile like you mean it, Aria.”


End file.
